1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hinge device and a mobile terminal including the same, and more particularly to a hinge device wherein uniformity of a collision sound during folding of a mobile terminal is improved and free movement of the mobile terminal is prevented and a mobile terminal including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mobile terminal is a portable device having at least one of functions including a function to perform voice and video communication, a function to input and output information, and a function to store data. With increasing functional diversification, such a mobile terminal now has complex functions, such as capture of a still image or a moving image, playback of a music file or a moving image file, gaming, reception of broadcasting, wireless Internet, and the like. That is, the mobile terminal also functions as a multimedia player.
Also, the mobile terminal is regarded as a personal belonging that expresses personality of a user, with the result that the mobile terminal is required to be manufactured in various designs. Examples of such designs may include a bar type structure, a slider type structure, a folder type structure, a swivel type structure, and the like. However, it is increasingly difficult to implement various designs and various structures.
In a conventional folder type mobile terminal, a collision sound is uniformly generated during folding of the mobile terminal, with the result that a user may not hear the collision sound. In this case, the user may mistakenly believe that the mobile terminal is not fully closed. For this reason, it is necessary to improve the folding structure of the mobile terminal.
Also, free movement of a hinge structure provided in the mobile terminal occurs in a free stop in which the mobile terminal is at a predetermined angle, which is different from a fully open state or a closed state.